Constanţa  The Old Port City

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Ancient Greek and Roman Constanţa

Don't bother travelling to Athens or Rome if you want to marvel in some amazing European history, because the stunning archaeological finds from Greek and Roman days in Constanţa rivals them all!

As the largest Romanian seaport on the Black Sea, the de facto capital of Dobrogea, and third-largest city in România, Constanţa is a vibrant seaport and regional centre since Greek and Roman times!

 Marseilles on the Black Sea

European royalty have flocked to the fine sands of the Black Sea coast since the early 1900s, when a rail line was built from the Paris of the East, Bucharest to this sunny seaside resort port.

Constanţa has the air of a French seaside town in the 1950s in many ways.  Even at the height of summer, when alot of the residents go to the mountains for a cool break or flock north or south to the adjacent resort towns of Mamaia, Eforie Nord and the resorts further south. 

You'll enjoy strolling through the old port part of town, complete with a wild mix of mosques, Orthodox churches, a fine old Catholic church, museums, and some attractive ornate architecture. 

The feel of the exotic pull of the Black Sea is strong in Constanţa. In what was once an Ottoman city of mostly ethnic Tatars and Greek citizens, barely 1 in 20 Constanţa residents were Romanian in the mid 1800s (now well over 90% today). 

But because of this culturally rich history, Constanţa offers some architectural and culinary delights to the traveller, from old mosques and some super Turkish, Greek and ethnic Romanian restaurants, to just having an authentic shaorma in the park under a cool shade tree.

Although the Turkish population has always been very low in the city -- never more than 3%, despite the bevy of Turkish restaurants now found in the old port town -- Constanţa has benefitted greatly from it's long history as an Ottoman protectorate.

All this will surely settle the charm of Constanţa in your hearts!

Since Constanţa has been continuously inhabited for 2500 years, there is a lot to see! Some recent archaeological digs have resulted in some world-class finds from the Greek and Roman days.

The old Casino at the harbour was opened in 1911. It was built in a fabulous Art Nouveau style and was conceived by two architects, Petre Antonescu and Daniel Renard (born in Romania).

In AD 09 Ovid was sent in exile by the Roman emperor Augustus for obscure reasons, which rather fortunately for history, resulted in Ovid's "Tristia" works of poetry.

The statue of Ovid (or Ovidius), a famous Roman poet who died in Constanţa, then known as Tomis, in AD 17. The statue by Ettore Ferrari was erected in 1887 after a public subscription (the same statue can be seen in Sulmona, his birthplace).

The National Museum of History

The National Museum of History and Archaeology in Constanţa is definitely worth a trip into town if you're staying at any of the surrounding resorts. Better than most museums even in Bucharest, it is an interesting place with foreign language guides available.

The National Museum of History and Archeology is a real crowd-pleaser, and even the kids will have a few smiles at little prehistoric stone dolls, mammoth tusks, and some seriously wild sculptures and statues.  Even if you've visited the best history museums in Washington, London, Paris and Rome, you will be quite impressed with the displays at Constanţa, ranging from collections of the Greek and Roman antiquity including the Glycon Snake, Fortuna and Pontos, Two-faced Nemesis and countless amphorae. 

You'll be amazed at the very first few rooms, with significant treasures from Constanţa's Greek and Roman times, including coins, amphorae, statues and stunning rare glassware.

The building itself is really quite a remarkable example of the Brâncoveanu style of architecture. Spend some time in one of the stairwells between the floors for a great sense of Romanian architecture. Outside the museum are some marble tombs and artefacts, and a nearby archaeological park nicely supplements this fine world-class museum.

Perversely enough, the museum rather abruptly ends it's historical displays at the end of Romania's Golden Era and World War II.  It's as if history stops at 1947 when the Communists took over, but hopefully funding in the future will help to complete the National Museum of History (5000BC - 1947).

The Original Roman Buildings

It's rather striking to think that all under most of the southern port peninsula in Constanţa there exists still the public buildings, baths, walls and residences of the Roman port city of Tomis.

Just behind the National History museum  on the sloping hill just behind there) are the remains of an impressive Roman public building, thought to have originally been a port building, has been excavated, and contains the substantial remains of one of the longest mosaic pavements in the world.  

The Ruins of Tomis

Pretty much at the heart of downtown Constanţa where boulevards Tomis and Ferdinand meet, is an archaeological park, which takes in a surprising breadth of ages, from the sixth century BC, to early Roman walls and Byzantine fortifications.    Get a lunch somewhere nearby and wander through the area for a great lazy afternoon.

Facing Mecca, Five Times Daily

The Great Mosque, at a stone's throw from Ovidiu Square, was the first public building made of concrete in Romania (1910), a gift from King Carol I to the small Moslem community.

There is a small kiosk just inside the entry gates in the forecourt where you can make a donation (an obligatory donation that is) to take in the view from the turret, or to have a look inside the main prayer hall.  The ceiling of the central dome (on right) is simply lovely.

Today there remain about 55,000 Muslims remaining throughout Romanian Dobrogea, about 1% of the population.  

As with any mosque, be respectful by wearing modest dress.  For women this normally includes covering arms and legs.  Ask at the entry kiosk for further advice. 

Mahmudiye Mosque, Open Daily except Friday

See our Religions of Romania section for more information on Romania's diverse religious past and customs.

The Local Beaches and Marina

Despite arguably better beaches to the north and south, the locals in the city can be found on their own stretches of sand just a few blocks from the city centre.

Near the marina and featuring quite shallow waters on a beautifully warm gentle slope of sand (you can walk for 20-30 meters and the water won't pass your knees) it's great for the kids. They'll get bored and turn back before the water is particularly deep!

The main tourist marina features an aquatic park with dolphins, a few terasa style restaurants featuring seafood from the local fisherman (this is advertised at least). 

You can get aboard a tour boat from the Tomis marine port which will take you on a great morning or afternoon trip out into the Black Sea, with super views along the coast!

A Day Out in the Old City

Constanţa benefits greatly from its nicely compact downtown area with the immediately adjacent little southern peninsula containing most of the historical and tourist sights. Lunch choices involve a cosy little taverna off one of the pedestrianised main shopping streets, or a seafood lunch down on the Tomis marina.

As with any Romanian town, large or small, a series of public parks are dotted throughout the town, with the more popular one best for people watching just in front of the Ovidiu theatre. In many ways, the downtown area of Constanţa, with it's busy streets and little cafes, is a lot like many French Mediterranean towns in the 1950s, or even many little Florida towns in the same, simpler era.

Just down a couple of blocks from the main shopping area is a large park mentioned above, with the remains of an old city wall from the late Roman days, as well as the remains of a Byzantine tower. 

Further down the hill is the Naval museum, which has some rather illuminating models of ancient Greek sailing ships which plied the coastline here well before the Christian era.  The story of the Romanian Navy is well mapped out, although, much like the National History Museum in the old quarter of town, certain blocks of history are given very light treatment, such as the WWII and Communist eras. 

Museum of the Romanian Navy, Strada Traian 53, Open daily except Mondays until 6pm.

A Streetside Shaorma Stand Worth the four dollars, especially if it's late at night!

The Carol I Mosque A great tower, and a rather grand interior, with superb ceiling work too!

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

The Port of Tomis Constanţa's marina is home to pleasure craft and some great coastal tours companies too!

Photo:  Rareş

Dobrogean Cuisine

Dobrogea (bordered by the Black Sea and the Danube River), really does the best job of the Turkish-inspired street food like Kebabs (or often, "Kebaps") and Shaorma, with grilled meats with what are basically Black Sea rim spices and condiments.

The Shaorma is wrapped in a lipia, which is a sort of thin pancake, usually filled with thinly sliced roast chicken breast, but sometimes beef.  The lamb option is not as popular in Romania, at least not in the capital Bucharest. 

At around four dollars each, they're a bargain and deeply satisfying.   Try out anywhere downtown around Piaţa Ovidiu for a great sidewalk shaorma, and during the summer a few 24 hour pizza joints too.  

Going to a proper restaurant is almost silly with these delicious local temptations around! If you do eat out, prices are very reasonable even in the high seasons, and your bill can easily glide in under $15 a head including drinks. 

It would be a shame to be in Contanţa without trying out one of the truly wonderful local Turkish restaurants, a menu done rather well throughout Dobrogea due to it's long history in the Ottoman Empire!

Do try the local wines from nearby Murfatlar, they're so good with grilled meats and so very full of sunshine, you'd mistake some of them for an Australian Shiraz more than anything else.  

Entertainment

Theatre and Cinema

Americans and English alike will be bemused by the unlikely name of the Glendale Multiplex cinema in the Tomis Mall  on Str. Ştefan cel Mare (Nr. 36-40, Tel. +40 (241) 515-353).  

Shopping

Yes, the ubiquitous mall has arrived on the scene on the Romania Black Sea coast!   You have your choice of the historically named Tomis Mall,  The TOM Complex (with the Carrefour superstore and the BricoStore homewares), The City Park Mall, Constanţa Mall, and a whole range of satellite community super centres from Practiker (hardware and homewares) to Selgros (hypermarket), Metro, and more.

The Tomis Mall is well-located downtown near the train station, and has the typical western mix of stores, restaurants and coffee shops, a four-plex cinema, a huge supermarket, 3 underground parking levels, and a Kids land.   It's not particularly Romanian, but offers a familiar atmosphere for the English-speaking tourist, complete with Pizza Hut, McDonalds, KFC and other western trappings.  Note that they all serve beer at least, although value-wise, you'll probably still do better getting a shaorma by the park.

The City Park Mall is the newest in Constanţa, just opened in July 2007, and touts itself as the first "real" mall in Constanţa.  With the obligatory 3000 m2 supermarket, the City Park Mall also features a big multiplex cinema, bowling, and electronics and IT centre, as well as a fairly large food court with restaurants, bars, and cafes.  

The over 100 shops are made up of the normal mix of fashion, jewellers, gift shops, newsagents, banks, and chemists.  City Park also has an amusement area for kids, and boasts a Senior’s Club, exterior skating rink, and nearby nautical sports in the neighborhood lake.

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